Was anyone able to guess this behemoth of a plant? Here at SSISC, we consider Giant Hogweed a shining example of why we refer to invasive species as “aliens”. With its imposing height and the dangerous sap, this menacing monster can cause a lot of damage!
Giant Hogweed is an extremely large, monocarpic perennial that exists in small numbers in the Sea to Sky region. Monocarpic, meaning the plant dies after maturing, flowering and producing seeds. The hairs on Hogweed stems and leaves exude a poisonous sap which increases the skin’s sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation and causes severe burns, blistering, and painful dermatitis. Contact with eyes can even lead to temporary or permanent blindness.
This perilous plant stands out with its many small, white flowers arranged in a large, flat-topped, umbrella-like cluster. Its native cousin, Cow Parsnip, has much smaller leaves, flower clusters, and height, but looks very similar to Giant Hogweed.
Combining vigorous early-season growth, a high tolerance for shade and flooding, and dense monocultures, this towering terror out-competes native plants at every turn. Having choked out all the surrounding ground-cover during the summer, Giant Hogweed dies back entirely in the wintertime and exposes now-bare soils to erosional forces like snowmelt. This, along with a shallow root system, leads to drastic streambank erosion and soil degradation.
Giant Hogweed is categorized as “eradicate” under SSISC’s Species Priority List for Squamish and Pemberton, and “prevent” for the Whistler region. That means we have to take extra care to prevent it from spreading into new territories and work diligently to get rid of it once and for all! If you think you’ve spotted Giant Hogweed, report it here or email us at info@ssisc.ca.
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